Saturday, May 21

2:00 - 6:00 p.m.: Conference Registration Open

Sunday, May 22

7:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.: Conference Registration Open

Educational Tours

8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.: Planting the Seeds to Grow Our Main Streets*

8:00 a.m. - 6:15 p.m.: Music...Memories…Wright…In Mason City!*

Noon - 6:00 p.m.: Marshalltown:  Preserving the Future by Preserving the Past*

1:00 - 3:00 p.m.: Downtown Des Moines Architectural Overview*

1:00 - 4:00 p.m.: Resurgence of Downtown Living in Des Moines*

Main Street Four Point Approach® Overview
  • 8:30 - 10:00 a.m.: Introduction to Organization Part One: Building an Effective Program
  • 10:00 - 11:00 a.m.: Introduction to Organization Part Two: Establishing an Organizaiton Committee
  • 11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: Introduction to Economic Restructuring
  • 1:30-2:45 p.m.: introduction to Promotion
  • 3:00-4:15 p.m.: introduction to Design

1:00 - 2:15 p.m.: No Photoshop Required: Capture and Utilize Great Photos to Grow Main Street

2:30 - 5:00 p.m.: Leading Main Street: A Veteran Main Street Managers Round Table*

4:30-5:30 p.m.: New Attendee Orientation

6:00 - 9:00 p.m.: Opening Reception

Monday, May 23

7:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.: Conference Registration Open

9:30 - 11:30 a.m.: Opening Plenary Session

Educational Tours

1:00 - 3:00 p.m.: Historic East Village;* Downtown Des Moines Architectural Overview*

1:00 - 5:00 p.m.: Main Streets on the Main Street;* Mansions of Des Moines*

1:00 - 6:00 p.m.: Unique Spaces, Creative Places: 100 Years of Ames' Main Street *

1:00 - 7:00 p.m.: Main Street Expo Open

2:00 - 3:15 p.m.: Educational Sessions - DESCRIPTIONS ADDED

  • Kidz Biz: Build Tomorrow's Entrepreneur Today
  • Disaster on Main Street: Partnerships and Tools for When the Worst Happens
  • Using USDA Rural Development Programs for Upper-Story Housing Projects
  • Welcome to the Neighborhood!: Introducing Maple Street to Main Street
  • Public Participation that Does your Project Good
  • Your New Board Policies Courtesy of the IRS
  • Grow Your Support by Telling Main Street's Story

3:45 - 5:00 p.m.: Educational Sessions - DESCRIPTIONS ADDED

  • Barrels Community Market: How a Main Street Program Opened its Own Business
  • Beyond “Old is the New Green”: Making Main Street Sustainable
  • Economic Development Planning: Using Creative and Cultural Assets
  • Understanding Downtown Consumer Spending in the ‘New Normal’
  • Growing Your Donor Base: A Main Street Success Story
  • Intensifying Program Visibility Through Retail Events
  • From Zero to Hero: A Main Street Manager's Story

5:00 - 7:00 p.m.: Main Street Exhibitor's Reception and Passport Raffle Drawing

Tuesday, May 24

7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.: Conference Registration Open

8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.: Main Street Expo Open

8:30 – 10:00 a.m.: General Session: Rethinking Economic Restructuring (details coming soon)

Education Sessions

10:30 – 11:45 a.m.: Educational Sessions - DESCRIPTIONS ADDED

  • Using Economic Gardening And Asset Quilting To Turn Your Main Street Into A Power Place
  • Adventures in Culinary Tourism: Exploring Iowa's Place-Based Foods and Cultures
  • Keeping Original Windows for Better Energy Efficiency
  • Nuts and Bolts of Downtown Circulation: Traffic, Streets, Parking, Zoning and Customer Conveniences
  • Become a Retail Merchandising Expert in 75 minutes
  • Successful Grant Writing: How to Find Funds for Your Local Project
  • What Manager's Need to Know About Retail and Retailers

Educational Tours

10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.: Tour d'Ingersoll: Building a Bikeable Des Moines*

10:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.: Sherman Hill - A Neighborhood of Planning Activists*

10:30 a.m. - 3:15 p.m.: Preserving our Heritage – Opening Doors for the Future*

Educational Tours

1:00 - 5:00 p.m.: Altar Crawl in Downtown Des Moines*

1:00 - 6:00 p.m.: Oskaloosa: Progress and Tradition*

Education Sessions

2:00 - 5:00 p.m.: La Conversación: Engaging Latinos and Hispanics in Historic Preservation on Main Street

2:00 - 3:15 p.m.: Educational Sessions - DESCRIPTIONS ADDED

  • Downtown Starts-Ups
  • Developing Better Entrepreneurs: Micro-enterprise and Downtowns
  • It's a Circus Out There:  Better Work on Your Balancing Act!
  • Sustainability Tools and Master Plans: Moving Beyond Single Projects
  • Digging in for the Long Haul: Improve Your Business Retention Program
  • Event Evaluation: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
  • Historic Tax Credits on Main: Structuring Tax Act Deals to Maximize Impact on Commercial Districts

3:45 - 5:00 p.m.: Educational Sessions - DESCRIPTIONS ADDED

  • From Vacant to Full: How to Develop a Small Business Incubator
  • Putting Smart Growth to Work in Main Street Communities
  • A Tree Grows on Main Street
  • Incentives to Recruit Businesses and Redevelopment
  • Making Social Media Work for Your Organization
  • Greening Your Guidelines

6:30 - 9:30 p.m.: Main Street Bash*

Wednesday, May 25

8:30 - 10:00 a.m.: General Session: Overcoming Obstacles to Growing Your Organization (details coming soon)

Education Sessions

10:30 – 11:45 a.m.: Educational Sessions - DESCRIPTIONS ADDED

  • Pop-Ups: Would they fit on your Main Street?
  • What Makes That Building Special?  Learning How to "Read" the Buildings Along Main Street
  • Cheap Rent Isn't Always Cheap: Thinking Like a Downtown Property Owner
  • 50 Guaranteed Sponsors for Downtown
  • Growing Awareness and Advocacy For Main Street Using Social Media
  • Nurturing Partnerships: An Action Plan that Works
  • Growing Your Brand

Educational Tours

10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.: Downtown Des Moines and the City Beautiful Movement*

10:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.: State Capitol*

Noon – 1:00 p.m.: Closing Plenary

*ticketed event